


It's a Wonderful Life

by Halfling



Category: Captain America (2011), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-12
Updated: 2011-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-27 06:32:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/292675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halfling/pseuds/Halfling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony finds Steve watching It's a Wonderful Life on TV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Wonderful Life

**Author's Note:**

> Just a fluffy for-fun fic in time for the Christmas season. Cheese will ensue! Originally posted at my [tumblr](http://halfsuper.tumblr.com/)

Steve fit in so well with the modern world that Tony often forgot he had been born 90 years before. There were the little moments, of course. The occasional turn-of-phrase would catch him off guard, he was still in utter awe every time he went into a supermarket, and every now and then when they were out and about on the streets of New York, he would stop and stare at something in a way that you knew he was remembering how it used to be. He didn’t talk about it much, and Tony didn’t ask, but it couldn’t have been easy, finding himself so displaced in time.

It was December, nearing Christmas, and Steve was watching TV in the Stark mansion’s living room when Tony came in.

“What’re you watching?” Tony plunked himself down beside Steve on the couch.

“A movie, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.”

“Mhm, that’s a classic.”

“I haven’t seen it before, but I recognize some of the actors. It’s good.”

There was something in the tone of his voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Right.” Louder, he said, “Pause.” The TV paused the movie.

“I know you don’t think much of my capacity to show emotion, but I do care about you so will you cut me a break and tell me what’s wrong?”

Steve looked for a moment like he wanted to resist, but eventually gave in under Tony’s stare. “It really is nothing. It’s just, I’m happy here, I really am, but there are moments when I really feel all the decades between last year and this one. Guess I’m a little homesick, is all.”

“Anything I can do to help? You want a 1940’s Christmas? I can get you a 1940’s Christmas.”

Steve smiled. “No, actually I like modern Christmas. It feels old and new at the same time, and all the nostalgia reminds me that when it matters, people still remember the past.”

“They remember all the good things and conveniently forget they had just as many problems then as they do now.”

“Maybe that’s the beauty of it. They take the pain out of their memories so the past is a refuge instead of a reminder that life is never perfect”

Tony reflected on all the pains in Steve’s past, and his own. “Do you envy them?”

“No. If you don’t remember the pains of life, you can never truly appreciate its joys.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Tony laid his head on Steve’s shoulder and they sat in silence for so long Tony almost fell asleep.

“Hey, Tony?”

“Yeah?”

Steve put his arm around Tony and pulled him into a more comfortable position. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being one of those joys.”

“You know, that would be very cheesy coming from anyone else.”

“Pretty sure it’s cheesy coming from me, too.”

“Yeah, but I like it.” Tony’s eyes fluttered shut and he sighed contentedly.

Steve shut the TV off and pulled a blanket around them both.

It really was a wonderful life.


End file.
